Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert grabs his head after being elbowed by Miami Heat forward LeBron James inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83.(Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)Buy Photo

There were elbows and taunts and flagrant fouls, fans tossed from the stands and a player tossed from the court. There was a heavy dose of referee politicking, stone-cold staredowns and — just for good measure — a little bit of blood dripping from Roy Hibbert's tongue.

Then again, this was the Pacers, and this was the Heat.

What else did you expect?

Following a seesawing affair that closely resembled the seven-game war these teams shared last May in the Eastern Conference finals, an unhappy Miami team voiced its frustrations in the locker room after falling 84-83 to the Pacers in a critical late-season showdown.

One after another, the All-Stars spouted their collective indignation.

"Our guys are getting punched in the face, you know what I'm saying?" said Miami's Chris Bosh. "Punched in the face and clotheslined out there.

"I don't feel like they were going for the ball in plenty of situations," he added a moment later.

Bosh's teammate, Dwyane Wade, took solace in the fact that his sparring partner for much of the the evening, Indiana's Lance Stephenson, watched the final moments of the game from the locker room after being ejected with 5:01 remaining.

Stephenson picked up a pair of technicals in the second half — first for a scuffle with Wade midway through the third, then for staring down Wade after converting a critical bucket late in the fourth.

Wade smiled, then gestured for a call and promptly received it. Stephenson was gone.

"I don't really play those games that Lance plays," Wade said after the game. "The refs took care of it. They did a good job."

Then there's LeBron James, in the mix as often as you'd expect from a player who finished with 38 points on the evening.

James took a hard foul from Indiana's Ian Mahinmi as he barreled to the basket with under a minute remaining in the third. Miami wanted a flagrant. No dice.

Indiana Pacers guard George Hill passes the ball around the back of Miami Heat forward LeBron James inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Miami Heat forward LeBron James is called for a Flagrant foul as he elbows Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert in the chin inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert grabs his head after being elbowed by Miami Heat forward LeBron James inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Indiana Pacers forward Paul George keeps the ball out of the reach of Miami Heat forward LeBron James inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Indiana Pacers forward Paul George pleads his case with an official as Miami Heat forward LeBron James claps as a timeout was called on the floor inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Indiana Pacers forward David West reacts to hitting what would be the game winning three-point basket against the Miami Heat inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Walesska wears a pair of Google Glass as the Pacemates perform during Indiana Pacers against the Miami Heat game inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson is called for a foul on Miami Heat forward LeBron James while pinned between James and Chris Bosh inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson receives his second technical foul of the game as Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade gestures under the basket inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Indiana Pacers forward David West is fouled by Miami Heat forward Rashad Lewis on his way to the basket inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade speaks with an official after a double technical was called on himself and Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Indiana Pacers guard George Hill drives around the back of Miami Heat forward LeBron James inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Indiana Pacers forward Evan Turner with a jump shot against the Miami Heat inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Miami Heat forward LeBron James loses his footing in front of Indiana Pacers players Paul George and David West inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Indiana Pacers forward Evan Turner celebrates a late basket against the Miami Heat inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Miami Heat forward LeBron James with a jump shot over Indiana Pacers forward Paul George inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Desiree wears a pair of Google Glass while performing with the Pacemates as the Indiana Pacers take on the Miami Heat inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Actor Mike Epps smiles as the Indiana Pacers take a late lead against the Miami Heat inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Actor Mike Epps, right, jokes with Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam "Pac Man" Jones as the Indiana Pacers take a late lead against the Miami Heat inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Miami Heat forward LeBron James grimaces after being fouled by Indiana Pacers center Ian Mahinmi as he drives to the basket inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Indiana Pacers fans cheer as they take a late lead against the Miami Heat inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson reacts to being called for a foul on Miami Heat forward LeBron James inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Indianapolis. The Pacers won the game 84-83. (Photo: Brent Drinkut/The Star)

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The officials reviewed the play and deemed nothing more than a personal foul.

"I don't want to fall into the pit of what's going on," James said. "(But) me and (Clippers forward) Blake Griffith, we take some hard hits. They call it the way they wanna call it. It's very frustrating though, very frustrating."

James himself drew a flagrant foul on a drive to the basket early in the fourth after his elbow knocked the 7-2, 290-pound Hibbert to the court.

A few moments later, Hibbert's bloody tongue was being cleaned up by the Pacers' medical staff on the sidelines.

After the game, James — clearly upset at the call — was asked if his elbow came in retaliation.

"Nah, I made a basketball jump," James said, shaking his head. "If I could jump in the air, elbow someone in the face and still try and finish the play … I'm going to be a kung-fu master.

"My elbow happened to hit his face."

Perhaps the bumps and bruises and war of words are just a taste at what's to come. These are two teams, familiar with one another through playoff battles in each of the past two seasons, who plain as day just do not like one another. And they expect to see each other plenty in the near future.

It certainly makes for great theatre. That much was certain Wednesday night.

"It is what it is," James added. "We'll be the 1 and 2 (seeds in the Eastern Conference). It means nothing."